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Tech News Today for July 7, 2017

Tech News for Friday July 7, 2017

Alphabet's lawsuit with Uber over the ride-hailing companies possible use of trade secrets taken from Waymo also contained four separate patent infringement claims but in a hearing last month, Judge Alsup had advised that Alphabet may wish to drop the patent aspects of the case ahead of the trial.  Alphabet has since decided to jettison 3 of the 4 patent claims, as Uber told the court it no longer uses the technology that those patents covered. Uber considers this a victory, saying it weakens Alphabet's case, pointing out that Waymo is overpromising and can't deliver on its claims.  Read more at recode.net.

It only seemed like a matter of time, but according to The Information’s sources, Jawbone is entering into liquidation proceedings, though the company as yet has not commented. CEO Hosain Rahman and a number of Jawbone employees have reportedly jumped ship to form a new company, Jawbone Health Hub, which is expected to create health products and services.  Read more at theverge.com.

Samsung says that its Q2 operating profit has hit new heights, rising around 72 percent from this point last year to around 14 trillion won, or $12.11bn. Samsung’s memory chip division is expected to be a boon for the company through the end of the year as the memory chip market is booming at the moment. Samsung’s OLED displays continue to do well for the company as well. And a big reason for Samsung’s success in both of those categories lies in Apple’s business, particularly with the upcoming iPhone 8 that is expected to be sporting a next-gen OLED screen.  Read more at reuters.com.

Chinese hardware maker Xiaomi had an awesome quarter, righting the ship after a rocky 2016. The company sent a memo to employees sharing that they shipped 23.16 million smartphones in Q2, up 70 percent from Q1, setting a new record for the company. CEO Lei Jun says this is the result of a refocused dedication to quality. Xiaomi has faced challenges with rival hardware manufacturers like Huawei and Oppo.  Read more at venturebeat.com.

Comma.ai is moving beyond it’s canceled self-driving car kit, the Comma One, and unveiling its latest product called Panda. The $88 dongle plugs into a car’s OBDII port to communicate with and record data sent from the various sensors installed throughout the vehicle. Apps on a connected phone enable collection and interpretation of all that data. When asked why someone might need all that data, George Hotz, founder of Comma, told The Verge “Just to have it.”  Read more at techcrunch.com.

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